Which of the following experiments is a classic example of the use of classical conditioning?

• A. Pavlov's experiment with dogs salivating to the sound of a bell
• B. Skinner's experiment with rats pressing a lever for food
• C. Kohler's chimpanzee insight problem-solving experiment
• D. Bandura's Bobo doll experiment on observational learning

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the concept of classical conditioning, which is a learning process where a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a meaningful stimulus, eliciting a conditioned response.
2. Step 2: Identify the key features of classical conditioning: an unconditioned stimulus (UCS) that naturally triggers a response, a neutral stimulus (NS) that initially does not trigger the response, and the conditioned stimulus (CS) that, after association, triggers the conditioned response (CR).
3. Step 3: Review each experiment option and determine which one involves pairing a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response.
4. Step 4: Recognize that Pavlov's experiment with dogs involved ringing a bell (neutral stimulus) before presenting food (unconditioned stimulus), leading dogs to salivate (conditioned response) to the bell alone after conditioning.
5. Step 5: Conclude that Pavlov's experiment is the classic example of classical conditioning, while the other experiments involve different learning processes such as operant conditioning, insight learning, or observational learning.